Mystical Undertow
by emptyvoices
Summary: COMPLETEWhat would happen if Lisa refused outright to make any phone calls to the hotel. This scenario and my interpretation is based on a dream I had a couple nights ago so I hope you bear with me. It's not the kind of story I'm used to writing.
1. Divergence

**I hope this story works out…believe it or not this is based on a dream I had. I usually don't support relationships like this but I decided to be true to it and flesh out the dream into a coherent plotline that is as accurate as possible without deterring from my position too strongly. Bear with me while I repeat some of the script in the first chapter…it's just important to set up the characters as I need. This is an interpretation of what would happen if Lisa refused to make the phone call to the hotel outright. I hope it makes sense as I go along.**

"Thanks for distracting me." Lisa said as the turbulence finally subsided on the plane and the jet had finally reached cruising altitude. She smiled weakly at the man sitting next to her that she had just met at the airport whose face was more intriguing then simply attractive. Within the depths of his heavy lidded eyes that glimmered in a shade of pale, cerulean blue, Lisa found herself sinking within them almost entranced by their crystalline shade. His eyes were off set by the contrast of his dark, brown hair that seemed long without being unruly.

He had introduced himself as Jackson Rippner, a cruelty inflicted by seemingly, careless parents who had probably given little thought of the name combination and more concern about honoring probably a recently dead ancestor. Being once the source of jokes, Lisa assumed at a young age which caused Jackson to detest the name Jack, he broached the subject with quiet amusement.

"_That was cruel of your parents." She told him sympathetically._

"_That's what I said, before I killed them." He told her and she laughed. Jackson had then let out a slight chuckle as if he was serious about the prior statement. "He has a good sense of humor." She thought._

"Well, it's not really what I'm doing." He said his obscure smile still in place.

"What are you doing?" She asked somewhat flirtatiously thinking this would lead to some other amusing anecdote.

"Just keeping the focus on you and your father." Jackson said casually.

_What the hell?_ Lisa was puzzled at this comment. This conversation was taking a strange turn.

"Why?" She asked, frowning briefly.

"Part of my job."

_Oh, that explains it. He's probably interning as a psychiatrist or something like that and is just trying to impress me._

"Are you a shrink?" She asked. _Just my luck. He probably reads Dr. Phil books as well. I already get to much psychoanalysis from my father back at home._

"No. Manager." Jackson said.

"Better not say of a hotel." Lisa told him. _I think that would be worse._

"No."

"Because that would…" She started to say.

"Give you cause to buy another self help book?" He asked, taking the words directly out of her mouth. She looked at him, feeling her cheeks starting to turn red.

Clearing her throat as she tried to redirect the conversation. "So what do you do?" She asked.

"Government overthrows, flashy high profile assassinations. The usual." He told her simply.

_Great, another joke._ She smiled in amusement. "You're a spy. I should've known."

He seemed to relish this game of twenty questions although to Lisa it was starting to annoy her. "No, I'm not a spy."

_Damn it…this is getting boring._ Lisa thought. "A hit man?" She asked with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"I'm a lousy shot."

_Of course, can't have that. _"Right. You work for the CIA." She said.

"Well, if I did, I couldn't say, could I?" He asked derisively. Lisa could almost detect a note of coldness in his voice. _What is wrong with him? _"But no." He finished.

"The mafia?" Lisa asked carelessly.

"The money's shit."

_Why did I have to meet the only weirdo in the airport?_ "Okay, well, that's kind of weird. Why don't you just tell me what you do?" She asked impatiently.

"I just did." He said.

_That's it. I'm going to grab my headphones and tune him out. He's not worth it._

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry, I…" She stuttered looking down at her lap for a moment. "It's…whatever you do, that's your own business." A disturbing thought just occurred to her. "Just as long as you're not…"

"What?" He asked.

"Hijacking the plane?" She whispered. _Please God, my luck can't be that bad._

He chuckled in response. "No, no. I'm not suicidal."

Lisa sighed in relief. "That's good."

Turning to her more directly he said, "You're right. Most days it is my own business but right now, as fate would have it my business is all about you." His eyes once so attractive to Lisa started to turn cold as he stared at her intensely.

Her heart started to pound as an alarm went off in her mind. _Something's not right._

"I'm sorry, about me?" She asked. _What the hell is going on?_

"That's right." Jackson told her smoothly.

"Okay, I'm not sure where you're going with this." Lisa said, pressing her body against the window of the plane.

"Charles Keefe. One of your regular VIP's. Ring a bell?" He asked acerbically.

"No, should it?" Her body was tense, ready for action. He obviously wanted something from her because nothing about this situation made sense.

"Yes, it should because he's on the way to your hotel and that's why you need to keep listening." He replied.

"No, no, I don't think…" Her palms were sweaty from apprehension as her fingers tried to find the flight attendant call button. "I don't have to do that."

"Yes, you do if you want your dad to live." Jackson told her coldly, his eyes looked at her malevolently.

Frozen in shock, she stared at him. _How can he say this? The same man who was so charming at the bar._

"What did you say?" She asked feeling panic well inside her chest.

"You heard me." Jackson replied chillingly.

"Yeah…" Lisa said as she pressed down on the call button for the flight attendant. _They'll have me exchange seats hopefully as far away from him as possible._

"Suit yourself. You might want to take a look at this." He said tossing a wallet on the tray extended out from the seat in front of him and Lisa glanced down at it, her heart felt like it nearly stopped in recognition.

"J.R. Joe Reisert. Your father, yes?" He asked in a patronizing tone.

"Where did you get that?" She demanded as she felt bile rise to her throat.

"I didn't get it." He explained. "My associate grabbed it off your dad's desk. Apparently next to your graduation picture. J.R. Definitely Dad's wallet."

Immediately, Lisa released her seat belt and stood up looking pleadingly at the flight attendants behind her no longer willing to wait for their assistance. Disgust went through her at the thought she had even been remotely attracted to this man. His voice continued to resonate quietly around her.

"His initials but gee, mine too. Jack Rippner. Credit card, license." He said, his eyes glittered menacingly in the shallow light overhead as she looked down at him feeling paralyzed by the malice that he seemed to emit by just his mere presence.

_Oh, God. Please help me. _She turned trying to beckon towards the flight attendant.

"For some reason, Miss Stewardess, this unstable, inebriated girl, whom I've never met before tonight, suddenly went crazy when I took it out of my pocket." He said mockingly to her. "You tell the flight attendant and your dad dies." He inclined his head to Lisa's empty seat in a gesture of ruthlessness. "Sit down." He ordered.

She gave a slight whimper of helplessness as she slowly sat back down feeling frozen by terror. Everything around her appeared surreal as she stared glassily to the seat in front of her trying to disconnect her mind from what was happening. _What do I do? I need to get help. What if…_

"You might wanna buckle up."

They sat in resolute silence as the flight attendant approached them noticing Lisa choking on the tears that ran down her cheeks as she pressed her arms close to her body. Once again, she was being used and controlled by a man who obviously had insinuated himself into her life. His self gratification seemed to be only concern. _Just like two years ago. _She thought numbly.

The flight attendant was questioning her and Lisa stammered out an apology with a claim that she didn't need anything. Through the fog that encircled her mind, she heard Jackson talk about a death in the family. Pressing her head tightly away from his dominating presence she could only vaguely hear the sympathies the flight attendant expressed as she returned with tissues and water for her. Jackson had refused to speak further about what he wanted from her until the woman's return.

Finally after the flight attendant departed, Jackson spoke. "I need you to call your hotel. It's very simple. Just use your managerial pull to move Keefe from 3825 to room 4080. I'll leave the details to you. You just sell it."

"You've got the wrong person." Lisa said, attempting to deceive him. "I don't have the authority to do that."

But he could see the obvious lie and his tone remained firm. "Well, I happen to know that you do and you're the only voice that can get this done in the time I need it done."

_I can't…can't let him kill Keefe. That's what he wants. But my father…God, help me. Tell me what to do. Please guide me._ She prayed silently.

"You need me to write it down?" He asked condescendingly.

"No." She said sharply.

"Then what's the delay?" Jackson inquired.

Lisa remembered her father's stance on terrorism and his prior work that he did with the government. He was the one that taught her to be a fighter and his position was quite strong to never concede to the demands of a terrorist. "_Despite what they say or promise, they'll end up killing you and any other potential witness. One life is not worth all the lives they'll take if you simply play along." _He had told her and Lisa trembled at what she would have to do. She loved her father and that moment only increased her longing to hear his voice once more but that would just make her decision for difficult.

_They'll kill him if he's not already dead anyway and then they'll come after me._ She told herself as she met Jackson's questioning stare.

"The answer is no." Lisa said decisively.

"What was that?" He asked and she could detect disbelief in his voice.

"You heard me." She said throwing back at him his same mocking phrase.

"This isn't a joke, Leese. I'll order the hit on your father's life right now." He told her warningly.

"Go ahead." Lisa said viciously to him. "I don't give a shit because that will be on you, Jack. Not on me." With that, she stood up quickly, stepping over him into the aisle taking advantage of his stunned expression as she dashed into the bathroom and locked the door.

"


	2. Ambivalent Conquest

Collapsing on the floor of the bathroom, Lisa took deep cleansing breaths to calm her racing heart. _Oh God, what have I done?_ She asked herself, feeling her body tremble violently. _You did what you had to, what Dad would have wanted._ Somehow it wasn't quite reassuring but she wasn't backing down. Jackson or whomever he worked for would undoubtedly kill her father and her regardless of what decision she made.

_I can't let it happen again. I won't let it happen again._ The promise she made to herself since the rape was an oath that she swore never to break. Her stomached heaved as she immediately lifted up the toilet seat, feeling the urge to vomit. Having very little to eat during the day, nothing came out and she fell back against the counter.

The sensation started to dwindle. _Get up._ She told herself as she grabbed the sink immediately cupping water in her palm and rinsed the rancid taste of bile from her mouth. Washing her hands, she wondered what to do now. She couldn't stay locked up in the bathroom and the thought of going back to her seat was absolutely terrifying. _I just can't go back there._ She would open the door and get one of the flight attendants and tell them that the creep was threatening her and they would take it from there. _Maybe I can call Dad before its too late._

Straightening her disheveled blouse, she unlocked the bathroom door and pulled the door open only to be faced with an intense pair of crystalline blue eyes as Jackson stood in front of her blocking the exit. _No…damn it. I need to get help._ Lisa started to scream as she was suddenly forced back into the tiny compartment, a hand clamped over mouth muffling her cry as the door was locked behind them.

She surged forward desperate to get away from him as he slammed her back against the wall next to the toilet, shoving a knee into her abdomen to hold her in place. His face was only inches from her as he said to her softly. "Don't fight me." She groaned against his hand as his arm pressed into her rib cage. "So worked up and over what, Leese?"

_Not again…please!_ Her mind flashed to the parking lot feeling the weight of the rapist on top of her, his hands moving down her body. _Oh God._ She thought, caught up in the memory as she started to gag.

"Breathe." He whispered into her ear as his hand shifted to grip her elbow, holding her up right. Suddenly, he released his hand over her mouth and she was suddenly shoved against the wall on the other side of the bathroom. His hand however gripped her chin as his arm pressed against her shoulders.

"You really thought it would be that simple, Leese? Just a simple no? I'm surprised at you." He murmured to her.

"I'm not making any damned phone calls." She retorted. "Do you think that I'm really that stupid to believe that you would let my father live and then let me simply walk away?" Sucking in a deep breathe as she felt his fingers dig into her chin. "You're going to kill me either way aren't you?" She challenged.

"No, Leese. We'd go our separate ways and life goes on." He said.

"Except for Keefe. He's a good person, Jack!" Lisa exclaimed.

He shrugged. "Sometimes bad things happen to good people." Glancing down at something beneath her collar bone, his thumb revealed the scar she had so carefully hidden beneath the white fabric. "Like you, it seems." He said glancing back up at her. _Oh please no. I don't want him of all people to know…_"I've been following you for quite a while, Lisa and as far as I can tell your life just revolves around work and the occasional cocktail at the local bar. Late night movies and scrambled eggs at three PM. I was never certain what caused you to be such a loner but now I think I'm getting the picture. Did someone do that to you? He asked, a flash of rage appearing in his eyes as he ran his thumb over the damaged flesh.

_He's angry. It's almost like someone damaged his prized hen._ The thought drifted through her mind as she tried to think of something to say to counter his suspicions. _I'm tainted…I'm just damaged and dirty. I can't get rid of it. _She couldn't prevent the torment that entered her eyes and Jackson didn't miss it. "Is that what it is?" He asked again interrupting the pause that had settled between them.

"I….I just…please don't make me…" Lisa stammered as she tried to struggle against the grip he had on her. In a rapid, fluidic movement he slammed her against the mirror, his hand at her neck squeezing her throat as her hands railed against his grip.

"You know what I think, Lisa? I think you haven't been such an honest person because I've been following you for eight weeks now and you never ordered anything but a damned seabreeze." He said furiously.

"I can't breathe…can't…" She managed to gasp.

"You know what else, Leese? I think it's also time you make that fucking phone call before I make one of my own." He said, his blue eyes glared at her icily. "What do you say, Lisa? Ready to play along?" His hand eased somewhat from her windpipe allowing air into her lungs.

Lisa gathered her strength as she looked at him steadily. "I think I'm ready for you to go to hell, you asshole! I'm not calling anyone, you pathetic bastard!"

His grip tightened severely on her throat and she fought violently against him unable to draw any air as his fathomless, cold blue eyes observed her futile struggle. "You're only going to make it worse, Lisa." He whispered in her ear as darkness started to form around the edges of her vision. Her body went limp against him as unconsciousness finally claimed her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jackson immediately relinquished the grip on her throat; his arms encircled her body as he held her against him. Brushing loose strands of red hair from her face, he sighed. "What am I going to do with you?" He murmured as he gathered her into his arms and unlocked the bathroom.

A glaring flight attendant immediately awaited him and he watched as her furious gaze dissolved into one of concern. "What happened?" She asked indicating Lisa's prone form.

He smiled charmingly at her. "She had a bit too much to drink and I saw her stumble going to the bathroom so I thought I would see how she was doing. I was waiting outside the door and saw that she was about to collapse when she opened it. I knew I had to intercede. Don't worry, she'll be fine." He said honestly.

The nervous attendant looked relieved. "You make sure she gets home all right?"

"Of course, at this point she's stuck with me whether she likes it or not." Jackson replied.


	3. Indecision

Lisa woke up to bright sunlight that streamed through the airplane window and she groaned visibly as the piercing rays gave way to an immense headache that radiated throughout her skull. As her eyelids fluttered opened, her attention was momentarily focused outside the aircraft and then with a sudden burst of memory, she realized what had happened. Immediately, turning to her left, she saw Jackson leaning back in his chair, in what seemed like an effort of quiet contemplation as his eyes were fixed directly ahead of him.

They were in the very back of the plane, rows behind where they were previously as Lisa glanced around her surroundings in confusion. As her gaze rested on Jackson, she remembered chillingly his deadly promise of killing her father if she didn't comply with the demands to change the hotel room for the Charles Keefe party.

"So, did you do it?" She whispered. That was all she could manage after the strain he had put on her throat.

His concentration broken, he turned to her. "Do what?"

"You know what." She said, shaking her head in disgust. "Did you have my father killed?" Jackson remained silent; his face appeared clouded with uncertainty.

Finally he spoke. "No, not yet."

Shock and relief swept through her. "Why not?" She asked numbly.

"I don't know." Jackson stated simply.

"You're lying…this is all some kind of game to you, isn't it?" Lisa asked him as suspicion flooded through her.

"And what game would that be Leese? I've never lied to you. Not once. I haven't called the hit in on your father and I have no intention of killing you." He told her sharply. "And no, I'm not sure as to why."

"Then let me go. I'll forget this ever happened Jack. We can go our separate ways." She said as hope suddenly went through her.

"It doesn't work that way, Lisa. I still need you."

"For what? I'm not doing your shitty little job so what could you possibly want from me?" Lisa asked, as she started to raise her voice in panic.

He shook his head. "Remember, I still hold your dad's life in my hands, Leese. I will finish the job with or without your help but either way; I'm not going to just simply let you go."

Lisa swallowed as tears started to fill her vision once more. Staring out the window, she realized that they were descending into Miami and almost to the runway. Jackson powered up his phone rapidly clicking the call button to check his signal. _What am I going to do? I'm lost…he'll kill me._ "What are we doing back here?" Lisa asked, indicating the change in seats.

"After you passed out…" Jackson started to say.

"You mean after you nearly strangled me?" She responded derisively.

"Leese…" He said warningly and she remained quiet. "The flight attendant moved us back here."

She nodded, shivering as she wondered what "Jackson had in store for her once the plane reached the airport. The plane hit the runway, taxiing into the terminal and pulling up to the jetway. As passengers stood up to retrieve their luggage, Jackson seized her elbow pulling her into standing position. Grabbing her purse and luggage from the overhead bin, he pushed her in front of him, handing Lisa her purse as she made her way off the plane.

"How are you doing, hon?" A flight attendant asked her in a syrupy voice as they were about to exit onto the jetway.

Lisa stared at her blankly as she shook her head in confusion. "Oh, much better." Jackson's voice came from behind her.

"Good. You're getting her home?" The stewardess asked.

"As I said, she's stuck with me." He answered squeezing Lisa's elbow as she was about to speak. She looked back at Jackson in panic and then glanced back to where the flight attendant had stood. She was gone, disappearing into the cockpit.

"Let's go, Lisa." Jackson whispered from behind her pushing her forward as they disembarked the plane and exited into the airport. They made their way quickly into the tram and Lisa watched Jackson from out of the corner of her eye as he put his cell phone into his pocket.

As the tram made its way from the terminal to the baggage claim area, Lisa started to speak softly amidst the chatter from people around her. "I….I don't feel that great." She murmured as she clutched her stomach and started to bend over.

He sighed. "What's wrong now?" He muttered impatiently.

"You choked me until I passed out. What the hell do you think is wrong?" She asked mockingly

Jackson glanced down at her quickly. "Well, suck it up…we'll be outside soon. You feel better then." He tossed at her carelessly as she still leaned over, unheeding his words.

"Stand up Leese." He whispered commandingly. Lisa took a deep breath as the doors to the tram started to open, carefully reaching backwards. In one fluid motion, she jammed her heel back into his knee and grabbed his cell phone out of his pocket. With the device in the palm of her hand, she started sprinting across the airport heading outside. She didn't turn to see Jackson's quick recovery as he watched the route she took and quickly headed to the direction of the parking garage.

Lisa ran into baggage claim hoping to hide behind one of the pillars within the airport. Looking at the cell phone in her palm, she quickly dialed her father's number. She breathed a sigh of relief as her dad finally answered.

"Dad! Oh, thank God." She said.

"Lisa?" He asked. "Did you just land?"

"Dad, you need to listen to me. Get out of the house! Just get in your car and leave town." Lisa told him, her voice heavy with anxiety.

"Lisa, what is this? What's going on?" Joe Reisert demanded.

"I can't say right now but please, promise me you'll get out of there."

He sighed. "Fine, I promise but Lisa, honey, are you okay?"

"I don't know, Dad. I will be when I know you are safe. Just leave. Go to Mom's." Glancing around the airport, crowds of people were surging into the baggage claim area._ Jackson could be with them._

"Dad I need to go." She said.

"But Lisa…"He protested.

"I'm sorry…I love you." She said disconnecting the phone. Heading outside to the passenger loading zone, she was momentarily thankful that she had her purse finally back. Jackson's cell phone beeped as she looked at it startled only to see the battery was dying. Shrugging, she tossed the cell phone into a garbage bin as she looked around for a taxi. Heading towards the curb, she saw a taxi pulling up behind a forest green BMW.

Her focus was entirely on the taxi when the BMW suddenly pulled directly in front of her, the passenger door was thrust open and Jackson was sitting in the driver's seat with a gun in his hand pointed directly at her. "Get in Lisa."

She shook her head rapidly as she started to back away. "Don't think about it Leese…I maybe a lousy shot but at this close range, I don't suppose that would matter, now would it?"

Shaking, Lisa looked around at the airport hoping that a security guard would provide her with some assistance but there were none nearby. She had no choice and she knew it as she looked down the barrel of the gun which he held as Lisa looked at Jackson's grim expression.

Gingerly she started to lower herself into the seat as he seized her arm pulling her inside and leaned over her to close the door behind her. She felt cold metal encircle her wrist as Jackson cuffed her hand to the leather grip at the side of the door.

Satisfied that she was restrained, he pulled out into the surging traffic making his way to the freeway. "Where are we going?" Lisa asked pulling at the cuff on her wrist.

He looked over at her. "As a matter of fact, we're heading to your dad's house."

Horror went through her. _What if Dad isn't out of the house in time?_ "But you said…Why?"

"We have some unfinished business Leese. You know that." He answered with finality. Lisa could only pray frantically that her father had already left so as not to face the penalty that Jackson Rippner for certain had for him because of her inaction.


	4. Catharsis

The BMW turned into her father's neighborhood as Lisa gazed around the suburb in shock. As they started to pull in front of the house, Lisa grasped Jackson's arm. "Please, you don't have to do this, any of this. Just let us go."

Jackson paused and glanced at her coldly as he opened the door. "This should only take a moment, Leese."

"No!" She cried out as he slammed the door behind him and walked down the sidewalk, removing what looked like to Lisa as a long, jagged knife. He approached the home carefully, advancing up the cement walkway.

She closed her eyes concentrating on the cuff, trying to pull herself free when she heard a tap on the window. Her eyes flew open to see a tall middle aged man with light brown hair looking down at her with a concerned expression on his face. "Are you all right?" He asked and she shook her head rapidly. Nodding, he beckoned towards her. "Open the door. I can help you."

Grateful for the kindness of this passing stranger, she managed to unlock and started to open the passenger door. "Lisa, no!" She heard Jackson yell out as a sudden blur of movement knocked the man off his feet as a muffled sound of a gun was heard amidst the scuffle. Lisa was stunned to see streams of red liquid surging down her leg and she fell back against the car seat as an intense feeling of lightheadedness started to sink in. _I don't even feel the pain. How can that be?_ She asked herself as her mind seemed to wander into a comforting fog which was an altered bliss compared to the reality she was facing.

Distantly, she heard the passenger door open as Jackson swore upon seeing her injured state. Immediately, he knelt down beside her, gently pulling the skirt back to reveal more of her thigh to better assess the injury. "Damn it." He said shaking his head. The bullet was still lodged in the wound and it would have to be removed quickly as soon as they got to a secure location.

Lisa looked down at the pavement as she saw the man who had offered her assistance lying in a pool of blood. "What? He was…" She stumbled with her words. "Why did you…?"

"He's my associate, Lisa. Incidentally, since your father evaded him getting out of the house, he was going to kill you in retribution." He stated harshly.

Confusion and dismay radiated through her as Jackson grabbed a first aide kit out of his car, seizing gauze, medical tape and hydrogen peroxide. Quickly, he applied the peroxide to the gauze as he pressed the cloth down on her injured thigh. Lisa moaned in pain as he cleansed the bullet wound as much as he could and taped the makeshift bandage to her leg. "I can't remove the bullet here, Lisa. This will have to do until we reach a safe house." He told her.

As she tried to fight the pain in her leg she looked at him and managed to say, "Why didn't you let him kill me?" She asked faintly.

He glanced at her wearily. "Don't you ever get tired of asking the same mundane questions, Leese?"

Wrapping her arms around her as she shivered beneath the thin white blouse she was wearing. "You saved my life." Lisa affirmed quietly. Jackson was silent as he removed his sports coat and draped it over her trembling form. Removing a bottle from his first aide kid, he shook out a couple white, oblong tablets as he handed them to her with a bottle of water.

"What are these for?" She asked wearily.

"They're Norco, Lisa. Just a narcotic for the pain. I trust we don't need these anymore." He said as he gently unlocked the cuff around her wrist as she tucked her newly freed arm under the jacket. He knew that she wouldn't attempt escape since the bullet wound would hinder her movements. At this point, his concern was keeping her from going into shock.

"I don't need…" She said stubbornly as she tried to hand the pills back to Jackson.

"I need you coherent Leese and I can't have you passing out in the car. Don't make me force the issue." He said warningly.

Shaking, Lisa swallowed the pills and handed the bottle of water back to Jackson as he got behind the wheel of the car satisfied with her compliance. Turning on the ignition, he started driving away from her father's home heading towards the freeway.

Her thoughts drifted to her father and she wondered if he had made it safely away from Jackson and the inevitable pursuit of his ruthless company. _I was willing to let my father die rather then concede to their demands. What does that say about me._

"Your dad wasn't in the house Lisa." Jackson said answering the question she was afraid to ask. "My associate never got a chance to get into the house."

"You killed your own partner, didn't you?" Lisa murmured.

"He was going to kill you." He replied simply.

She closed her eyes, trying to put the pieces together. _Is he still the same man I met initially at the bar in the airport or was that all a lie?_

"Thank you." She managed to say hesitantly. Her eyes flew open when she felt his fingers touch her shoulder. On instinct, she jerked backwards. "No, don't touch me."

His fingers lingered on her arm as she attempted to huddle away from him. "What happened to you, Leese?" He asked.

"Nothing, it was an accident." She muttered.

With that, Jackson immediately pulled the car off to the side of the road and seized her chin. "Do not lie to me." He said harshly as he changed his grip to her shoulders, deftly pulling down the fabric to reveal her scar. She struggled within his grasp which only caused him to increase his hold on her shoulders.

"Please…" She pleaded frantically trying to pull away. He shook his head in refusal and pulled her closer, his pale blue eyes fixed on hers.

"Don't make me ask again, Lisa." He told her, his voice unwavering.

Lisa closed her eyes as her body released a shudder. "I….Two years ago, I was walking back to my car to meet my father for lunch and he was there waiting. No one saw it happen." She whispered. "He held a knife to my throat the whole time and to this day, I can still feel him pressing against me." She swallowed and continued. "I tried to scream and pressed the knife into my chest. In that moment when I felt the blood trickling down my shirt, I wished I was dead because inside I felt dead already. After that, I swore I would never let it happen again…that I would never let anyone use me again." Tears were coming unheeded down her cheeks. "And then you came along to do the very same thing I feared for the past two years. You tried to use me to…." She shook her head, gasping in pain as she fought against the tears that she could no longer control.

His arms wrapped around her as he pulled her to his chest. She resisted, fighting his hold on her as his unyielding grip pressed her into a forced embrace. Lisa was panicking as her entire body stiffened at the touch of a man who had only hours earlier threatened the life of her father. _But then he saved mine._ She told herself. It was disconcerting but an odd connection had been formed between herself and Jackson, a man she had once regarded as her enemy.

"Relax Lisa. Don't fight me. It's all right." He murmured soothingly as she felt his hand stroking her hair and finally Lisa gave up her futile attempts to resist as she allowed herself to cry and release the last two years of repression she had felt. Leaning against him as his arms enveloped her small frame, she allowed herself to weep, feeling the despair, anger and resentment she had bottled up for so long. Lisa for those few moments felt free from the prison she had purposely encapsulated herself. A prison of doubt, emptiness and weariness of those around her.

_I was so afraid that I lived an empty shell of a life rather then really knowing what it was to be alive._


	5. Ephifany

"Wake up, Leese. Stay with me." Jackson said, shaking Lisa's shoulder urgently. Her eyes flew open as she groaned in pain. Her leg felt like it was on fire as the agony of the bullet wound traversed her thigh. Her eyes were heavy with exhaustion as she turned her head to Jackson. "Just want to go away for a while…let me sleep." She whispered as she started to close her eyes again.

He glanced at her noticing that her skin was flushed and fluid from the wound was starting to seep through the bandage. He knew he had to stop for the night and as he spotted a sign for a motel off the side of the main highway, he gripped Lisa's arm pulling her up as she slumped towards the door. "Damn it, Lisa. Stay awake." Her eyelids fluttered but she didn't respond.

Quickly he pulled into the parking lot of the inn and glancing at her, he decided that he would go into the lobby on his own to check them in. There would be too many questions if he dragged Lisa in semi conscious into the office and the risk of her escaping now was minimal.

As he departed the vehicle, Lisa watched him through a misty haze of pain that dulled her senses causing her to want to relapse into the warm depths of unconsciousness. Gathering her strength, she forced herself to dispel the fatigue that threatened to overwhelm her. Gripping the handle of the door, she opened it and slowly put her uninjured leg on the pavement, struggling to stand. Propping herself against the car, she moved her wounded leg from the vehicle and carefully put it down on the pavement.

The entire limb was numb and as she tried to disperse the weight onto the foot, she immediately collapsed with a cry of pain towards the ground. A pair of arms wrapped around her waist before her body hit the cement, holding her upright as an arm slipped underneath her legs. "Always the fighter, aren't you Leese?" Jackson whispered into her ear as he carried her towards a motel room door and swiftly opened it, taking her inside. Rapidly, he shut the door behind him and gently put Lisa down on one of the double beds as he reopened the first aide kit on the bed removing a variety of metal instruments and different bottles of various liquids.

Lisa's eyes widened upon seeing him meticulously laying out the different objects on the bed as she instinctively attempted to crawl backwards on the mattress. "Jackson, I need a doctor." She said weakly as fear pulsed through her from seeing the sharp instruments he was preparing to use.

"I can't risk it, Leese. I'm sorry." Jackson said as he reached for her leg.

She shook her head and attempted to maneuver herself off the bed as he gripped her arm. "This is for your benefit as well as mine, Lisa. If I take you to an ER, my associates will know immediately."

"But you're not a doctor, Jack." She protested sharply as she struggled against him.

"Maybe not but I do have some medical training." He countered as he tightened his grip on her arm. "I can make this as painless as possible but you need to remain absolutely still, Lisa." He said as he tried to reach for her injured leg.

"Like hell." She cried out as she managed to move her leg away from his reach. Sighing, he opened up one of the bottles of liquid pouring some of it into a piece of gauze. Immediately, he was on top of her, restraining her flailing hands with one of his arms as he pressed the material over her mouth and nose, at the same time holding her head down on the pillow. Tears popped into her eyes as she fought the urge to breathe.

"Don't fight it, Lisa. Just relax. Breathe." He murmured as he felt her body finally go limp underneath him as she was finally forced to take in air and the sickening smell overcame her propelling her into unconsciousness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lisa woke up to find herself tucked between the sheets of the double bed in the dingy motel room that Jackson carried her into last night. She vaguely remembered her arguing with him about him personally removing the bullet from her leg and then he pressed a pungent smelling cloth to her face….then darkness.

Her leg was still sore but no longer in the agony she had experienced in the car. Peeking underneath the blanket, she saw that clean strips of gauze had been wound around her leg and she was surprised to see stitches underneath the bandages where the gaping injury once had been.

Turning her head to look around the room, she saw Jackson passed out on the bed next to her, completely oblivious to her waking state. Propping herself up with her arms, she gazed at his sleeping state and wondered how someone could be so deadly on one side yet in sleep, his face was serene, resonating a calmness as well as a tranquility that held no sign of treachery.

_I don't truly know him just like I don't understand myself. _She thought, shaking her head. Realizing she desperately needed to use the bathroom, she attempted to push herself to her feet not wanting to wake Jackson. The lines of fatigue on his face were evidence to her that he only had just fallen asleep and Lisa felt a small pang of nagging guilt. _Why do I feel badly for the guy who only hours ago threatened to kill my dad? _She asked herself scornfully but she could not shake the feeling away.

Her efforts however discreet had managed to attract his attention as he immediately awakened. Jumping to his feet, he gripped her arm, trying to guide her back to the bed.

"What are you doing up? You need to rest." He told her.

"I've already had plenty of rest." She countered. "What I need is the bathroom." Lowering her eyes to the floor, she murmured, "I didn't want to wake you."

"Why, Leese? So you could try to escape out the window? There are no windows in there."

"No…I…" She stumbled over her words. "I'm sorry." She said finally.

"Sorry? About what pray tell?" He demanded.

"For last night. I panicked. You have no idea of what it's been like for me to live the past two years not speaking a word to anyone about what happened. To live while the anger and resentment inside me becomes all consuming that all other feelings are stripped away…numbed out all because I didn't want to lose control."

"Life can never be controlled, Leese. You can't spend your life not taking chances because of some obscure promise that you made to yourself that you know you cannot keep. I'm learning that the hard way." He muttered.

"This isn't the life you chose?" Lisa asked shakily.

"Why would anyone choose this life, Lisa? It chose me. From the moment that I accidentally started a fire in my parent's house that took their lives and when my uncle became my guardian, I focused on logic, rather then emotion but every time I did a job, I swore it would be my last but it never stopped, Eventually, I became numb to everything around me. Then I followed you for eight weeks for my job and a part of you was the same way. I didn't know why. When it came time to act I was supposed to hand the job off to an associate." Jackson said quietly.

"Why didn't you?" She inquired.

"You were supposed to die after the call was made. All traces were to be destroyed. I couldn't let that happen." He replied.

She considered this looking speculatively at him as he met her gaze, his pale blue eyes focused on hers intensely. Taking a deep breath and swallowing a painful lump that had formed in her throat, she said, "We can't stay here." She said softly. He nodded in agreement as she finally came to a decision. "I sent my dad to my mother's house back in Dallas. We can meet them there. Your company or whatever might not expect that and if what you say is true, they'll be checking every hotel in the state."

He looked at her with surprise. "That might work but why the sudden change of heart?"

Lisa struggled to get to her feet with Jackson's assistance and as they made their way to the bathroom, she told him, "Because now I know I can trust you."


	6. Family Ties

Lisa sat huddled against the passenger door of the car still feeling exhausted from the pain she had to endure the night before. Her leg resonated with a dull ache from the haphazard surgery Jackson had to perform on her while she was unconscious. The narcotic took the edge off yet it left Lisa with a lingering nausea and drug induced fatigue she simply couldn't shake.

The movement of the car didn't improve the situation, as she groaned slightly wrapping her arms around her stomach to curtail the urge to vomit over the relatively new interior of the expensive vehicle.

Jackson glanced at her briefly. "Are you hungry?"

The thought of food caused Lisa to feel another wave of queasiness to radiate through her body. "Ugh, no." She answered with a moan of disgust.

"Food might actually help the nausea, Lisa. The narcotic shouldn't be taken on an empty stomach." He said as he glanced at the passing signs for an exit that indicated an area for food and lodging. Quickly, he exited the freeway and stopped in front of a small diner. Stepping out of the car, he made his way to the passenger side door. Opening it, he took Lisa's arm only to have her pull it away.

"I'm not going to run away, Jackson." She said irritably. "And I told you, I'm not hungry."

"That really wasn't my concern, Lisa. I may trust you to an extent but I don't trust what my former associates would do if they found you alone in my car and neither should you." He told her stoically. "I'm not leaving you alone here and you will come inside to eat something with me. Don't make me force the issue."

She gazed up at him and shrugged her shoulders. It was too much of an effort to fight for control of such minor an issue. Unbuckling her seat belt, she gingerly put her sore leg on the ground as she tried to stand on her weakened limbs. Slumping backwards against the car, she looked at Jackson dizzily, shaking her head. "I don't think I can walk…can't I…?"

"No, Leese. I'm sorry. You need to pull yourself together and come with me." He said as he wrapped his arm around her back supporting her as she leaned her weight against his and limped into the diner.

Sitting in a booth near the back of the café, Lisa pressed her head against the window feeling the coolness against her cheek almost as a soothing balm to her heaving stomach. A server stopped by the table to see if they were ready to order. Lisa remained silent as Jackson ordered an omelet and coffee for himself. He raised his eyebrows at Lisa gesturing for her to order something as well.

Lisa shook her head. "Just water." She murmured stubbornly.

He sighed, overriding her previous request. "She'll have a ginger ale and a bowl of chicken soup."

"I'm sorry, we don't have ginger ale." The server replied as she glanced at Lisa's pale face. "Oh, are you not feeling well?" She asked as she glanced at Jackson for confirmation who nodded. "You know, I'll bring you a coke. That does the same thing as ginger ale and I'll get you some saltines for your soup. That always helps me."

"Thank you." Lisa murmured softly.

"No problem. Feel better." She said, heading back to the kitchen. Moments later, she returned with the soda of which Lisa sipped slowly. Surprisingly, she felt her nausea somewhat recede.

"You never moved on?" Jackson asked interrupting the silence between them.

"What?" Lisa asked, feeling confused by the remark.

"After the rape, you held onto the pain. You never moved on." He said decisively.

"It's not that simple." She replied.

"Why not?" He asked.

"I couldn't take the chance of someone violating my life again. If I didn't allow myself to trust another man, then I couldn't be broken if he were to betray me." Lisa replied.

"An emotionally driven attitude if I ever heard one." He said bluntly.

"Right. And you are doing so much better." Sarcasm filled her voice.

"I never said I was but at least I'm realistic. I don't lie to myself." He answered.

"And I do?"

"After eight weeks of watching your every move, I would think that answer would be evident." He said calmly.

She shivered at the thought of him following her for that long and knowing all her habits with all the various details of her life. "Why?"

"Why what?" He asked.

"Why was it necessary to follow me that long? It seems a little unnecessary when you just want me to make a phone call." She muttered, shaking her head.

"The phone call was plan B. Blame your grandmother for that one." He said.

"I don't understand."

"She died and you hopped on the next plane before I had the chance to intercept you. I was forced to follow you to Dallas and then Keefe changed his time of arrival so here we are." He explained.

"I see." She said, even though she didn't.

"Our initial plan was to take place at your hotel where you would be under tight surveillance and could organize the room switch face to face in case of any questions or mistakes that might arise. Simple as that but as it stood we were scrambling for an alternate plan when you left and our clients refused to budge on their time table." He said.

The server returned to the table depositing the food on their table. Lisa stirred her soup listlessly staring at it as her mind drifted to thoughts of home and the endless comfort of her idle day to day routine. _The day to day is where I thrive._ She thought.

"Lisa…" Jackson said warningly, interrupting her thoughts. She snapped back to reality, glancing at him. Indeed she realized a part of him always wanted to be in control and dominant over her whereas Lisa fought desperately to maintain independence for herself. Yet, she knew he would have no qualms in forcing the food down her throat if he had too so rather then engage in a battle of wills, she reluctantly started to eat the simple meal.

"Does your family know what you do?" She asked as she ate.

"Well, Lisa my parents…" He started to say.

"Yes, I know but you must have aunts, grandparents, something like that."

"I have a grandmother I was close to while I was growing up in California but no, she doesn't know." He said flatly.

"Maybe you should tell her." Lisa suggested.

"Tell her what, Lisa? That I'm a professional killer or better yet, that I managed assassins as of late? It seems I'm a failure at that as well."

"Perhaps it wasn't your calling." She murmured.

"That's easy for you to say, isn't it Leese. It's not as simple as changing professions. My failure was because I allowed myself to get emotionally involved. It was my mistake that I simply cannot undue. I considered allowing my associate to kill you when the plane landed but that wouldn't have solved the problem, only exacerbated it." He told her.

She cleared her throat, feeling nervous once again as she fingered the napkin in her lap. Lisa knew what he otherwise refused to say beneath the rough exterior of his words. The attraction he had towards her was clear but whatever initial feelings of a similar appeal that she may have, had been purged from her by the simple knowledge that he was a killer. It was a road she couldn't travel and she didn't even want to know how many innocent people had died at his hands.

Secretly, she had yearned to feel that initial spark of attraction for another man despite the utter numbness that had seemed too leave her devoid of love and trust after the rape. The excitement of feeling that spark for Jackson had overwhelmed her and it came as a crushing blow to her that his charm was only a façade borne of pretense. She wasn't even sure if the Jackson she had felt that spark for even existed in reality. Delving deeper beyond the false layer of charm exposed a dark chaotic pit that would insist on dragging her downwards into a spiral of agonizing, emotional pain. Reality was difficult to face but clearly evident. They were from two separate worlds that could never be united together.

_Sometimes it's just not meant to be._

**_Sorry, it's been a while but I'm working on a few different stories now so it's a bit of a stretch. This chapter while seeming to be mostly conversation covers an essential point...I only expect to have this be another couple chapters...it was never meant to be a long story. _**


	7. Price of Survival

Lisa was suddenly jarred awake by the sound of a horn from a distant car. Her back ached terribly from the awkward position of her previous slumber as she glanced irritably at Jackson's tense figure behind the wheel. "Are we there yet?" She muttered.

"Good morning to you too." Jackson replied acerbically and Lisa glared at him. "We're just crossing through Baton Rouge if you must know."

"What will we do when we get to my Mom's house?" Lisa asked. "Just wait until they stop looking for us?"

He shook his head, releasing a chuckle. "We would only have a few days at best, Leese and my associates are relentless. They will find us sooner or later. However, it will be enough time for me to call my contacts and pull in some favors to arrange for new identities, passports and credit cards for us. I have money in several accounts across…"

"Wait a second, Jack. My going with you was never part of the deal." Lisa told him sharply, cutting him off.

"Is that so, Lisa? I for one cannot recall ever having to make that promise. In fact, my words were that you were stuck with me. At this point, you have no other option." He said stoically.

"You said before we would each go our separate ways…" She started to say.

"If the job was completed but you refused to play along, Leese and now we are in danger." Jackson replied.

"But we can just go to the CIA or Homeland Security. You can tell them what you know and they'll take care of the rest. I just want to go home." She protested.

He sighed impatiently, turning to her. "You don't get it do you, Lisa? Some of my associates already work for the government. There is even one that works on Keefe's security staff. Believe me, I'm your best chance at survival for the moment."

"I…I can't believe this. I can't leave everything behind based on some conspiracy theory. My family and friends…" She stammered as she met his gaze. "I don't even know you. All I know is that you were supposed to arrange an assassination attempt on Keefe's life. Not exactly a great first impression. This is just ridiculous. I only met you two days ago."

He shrugged. "Give it time, Lisa. You'll adapt. Life changes and you'll acclimate. In time, you'll get to know me."

"Oh, shit." She murmured, putting her head into her hands. It was a futile argument and Lisa knew she had to find her own way out of this disaster that was created. Jackson in his constant need for control was trying to take over her life. _I can't allow that to happen._

"What is it now?" He asked his voice on edge.

"I trusted you. You're forcing this on me and you know, Jack I'm not interesting in simply surviving. I want a life too yet you want to strip that away from me after I just began to trust you. "

"Only to a point, Lisa. You forget how long I've been following you. I know you too well. You trusted me to an extent because you had to. Given time that will change."

"No it won't." She murmured as she lifted her head up. "I'm not going with you because if you honestly say you know me so well, you know that I wouldn't be able to live that way."

"I'm afraid that's a choice that is no longer yours." He said coldly, refusing to meet her shocked gaze. _I allowed this…him to take control. I need to get out of here. _She shivered as she racked her mind for a plan. Her only course of action was to play along however inwardly, she felt as if it were a betrayal of some kind after what he went through to save her life. However, he initially was going to use her as a pawn in his game and she could not give him ownership over her very existence.

A feeling of inner despair resonated through her as she thought of the connection they almost established. It was a link she had felt for only a few people in her lifetime of which the relationships had converged into a deeper bond of friendship.

Despite his past and the reckless endangerment he put her in, the fear that consumed her had started to dissolve until she had been stunned by the plan he callously proposed and she felt the sheer disappointment when his intent became known. _What other choice do I have? _

"I'm sorry." She managed to say out loud as he turned to look at her in surprise. _More then you know._

"Why's that?" He asked calmly.

"I thought it over and you're probably right. I can't risk putting my family and friends at risk if those are the penalties I'd have to pay for my staying here." She replied.

"Why the sudden change of heart?"

"I just felt like my control was slipping away and it pissed me off. I'm not an impulsive person, Jack. I always have learned to play it safe. Then suddenly you tell me I have to leave the people I love behind. How would you feel?" She snapped. _The best defense is a good offense._

"I can't say, Leese. I didn't have much to leave behind."

"What about your grandmother?" Lisa persisted on asking.

"That was several years ago. I moved on." He responded shortly.

"Did she?"

"Did she what?"

Sighing in frustration, she repeated herself. "Did she move on?"

An uncomfortable silence filled the car as Jackson seemed to refuse to answer the question. "Well?" She inquired.

"Something's are better left unsaid." He answered.

Lisa glanced down at the scar across her chest which stood out as an ever present reminder of the burdens she carried with her. Jackson's scars however were more internal. _We all have our own cross to bear._

"I suppose so." She told him softly as she directed her gaze out of the window. As soon as they made their next stop, Lisa knew she they would have to part company. She resented having to break the fragile trust they formed but for what he was asking in return, the cost was simply too high.

**So I guess this is going to go a little longer then I thought to resolve certain issues. Anyway, just want to say thanks to Royalty09 for her input and advice and thank you to all my reviewers who are patient with me through telling this somewhat unrealistic scenario. But when are dreams realistic?**


	8. False Rescue

Lisa gazed somberly out the car window as Jackson continued to drive further down the freeway which eventually would lead into Dallas. Night had fallen as Lisa shifted position in her seat, using her hand to rub the aching muscles in her back. The continuous hours spent in the car were excruciating and she groaned softly as she shifted her head from side to side opening to gain some release from the pain.

Suddenly she felt his hand on her back deftly massaging between her shoulder blades up to her neck and she instinctively started to pull back. "Wait. No, I'm fine. Please…" He gripped her arm firmly, glancing at her.

"Relax Leese. Trust me. I know what I'm doing." He told her softly.

_Yeah. That's what I'm afraid of._ But she resigned herself to his efforts as she tried to will her body into settling down however she jerked backwards as she felt sharp pain radiate throughout her neck. "No, stop." She demanded as she tried to move away from his relentless grip but his fingers seem to dig into one spot at the base of her neck causing a wave of agony that she could hardly stand. Gasping in pain, she asked, "What are you doing?"

"Just some acupressure, Leese. Using pressure points to release tension and it will be rather uncomfortable." He said.

"Then I think you should stop." She retorted.

"Well, maybe you should suck it up. Nothing good comes in life comes without a little pain along the way."

"Then perhaps you shouldn't bother." Lisa said, feeling the depths of her aggravation growing with his avid need to control her. "Couldn't we pull over and get something to eat?" As Jackson held out a bag of potato chips to her, she wrinkled her nose. "Something other then junk food?"

"All right, I suppose we could stop for a while. Anything in mind?" He asked. Lisa shook her head.

"I don't care."

Jackson quickly exited the freeway and headed towards and all night restaurant located just off the exit, pulling into the accompanying parking space. Lisa tensed as she tried to gain the courage to put her plan into fruition. _I have to do this. _She let out an ill repressed shiver as she remembered Jackson as he carefully tended to her injured leg after having saved her life. This was the man she was supposed to betray.

_Yes, he saved my life after having endangered it in the first place!_

But in a way, he was trying to redeem himself for a history of violence of which had nearly cost him his soul. Despite the fact that Lisa struggled with the growing conflict inside her, a part of her wanted to be that friend to him and to encourage his attempts of reclaiming his vitality in existence. However, the darkness inside him threatened to consume him with its destructive urges and she knew all too well that she would be dragged down the same rocky path. _I cannot allow that to happen._

Lisa opened her car door, limping slowly after Jackson into the casual interior of the restaurant as she allowed her eyes to survey her environment. She was gratified to see another exit towards the back of the establishment which led to the exterior parking lot near the restrooms. As they settled into a booth, Lisa pretended to idly look at the menu as she furtively glanced around at the other diners within the restaurant.

To her immense relief, she saw a possible source for her vindication. A police offer and his partner were sitting at a nearby table chatting aimlessly. She started to panic as they slowly stood up and made their way outdoors after paying the bill. Trying to insert a relaxed tone into her voice, she started to stand. "I need to use the restroom."

Jackson immediately looked up at her from the menu. "All right, Leese. Did you want me to order for you?"

"Sure." She said, trying desperately to act normally. "Just order a turkey sandwich. I'll be back in a minute."

He nodded; his gaze held hers and Lisa could no longer stand to meet the intensity of his piercing blue eyes which seemed to delve into her mind. _He knows…_ She started to think as she turned around and headed to the bathroom. Just as she opened the outer door which was positioned next to the back exit, she looked back and shivered as his eyes met hers once again, his stare relentlessly tore through her as he leaned forwards in his chair, his elbows propped up on the table.

_I'm not going to get away with this. He'll catch me._ She thought in despair until a server suddenly approached the table and Jackson's concentration on her was momentarily broken as he started to engage in conversation with the waitress.

Taking the brief opportunity, Lisa immediately opened the back exit door and proceeded as quickly as she was able to the police officers who were starting to climb into their vehicle. "Wait! Please, I need some help." She called out to them. One of them turned around and came towards her with a look of concern on his attractive face.

"Yes? What can I do for you?" He asked.

"My name is Lisa Reisert and I just managed to escape from a man who was holding me hostage and…"

"Wait, where was this?" The officer asked. "Is he here?"

Lisa paused in thought. _I need to give Jackson some chance. It's the least I can do._

"I…I managed to get away from a few miles north of here and I ran all the way here. I didn't know where else to go." She said as she took a deep, shuddering breath.

"Okay, just relax. You're safe now. We'll take you to the police station and contact your family." The officer assured her as he opened the back door of the car and beckoned for her to enter.

Lisa flashed him a look of utter gratitude as she crawled into the vehicle and leaned back against the cushioned seat as they headed out of the parking lot. The road was practically empty with a few homes gracing the side of the otherwise empty highway.

"How did you get away from him?" The officer behind the wheel asked.

"I told him I needed to go to the bathroom." She muttered wryly.

"And he believed you?"

Lisa shrugged. "I guess so."

"You know, it's funny, Miss Reisert. I find that hard to believe." The officer said chuckling.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, if Mr. Rippner indeed was holding you hostage, he would see through such a flimsy excuse. Why don't you tell us the truth and we'll make this as painless as possible."

Lisa felt her stomach clench inside. "How did you know his name? I never told you." She shook her head despairingly as realization dawned on her. "You work for them. His company."

"His former company we should say. We were notified a couple days to be on the look out for the two of you. I never thought you'd make it that easy for us. But, I'll make a deal with you. Tell us what you know right now and I'll kill you quickly."

"Go to hell." She said.

"Whatever you say but we will find out what you know and we can stretch out your agony over a period of several days. Trust me; you'll be insane long before your dead."

Lisa shivered as she tried futilely to open the car door knowing instinctively it was locked. Suddenly, an impact on the right hand side of the car sent Lisa careening over to other end of the vehicle as her body slammed into the door. The vehicle was sent into a tailspin as she weakly grasped onto the door handle, praying that against all odds she would survive.

As quickly as the accident happened, the car seemed to come to a stop as it rammed into a tree at the side of the road. Lisa was dazed but still conscious as she looked the officers up front who were moving slowly, obviously injured from the accident as they struggled to open the doors. The windshield had spider webbed from the impact and the driver's side window had shattered still leaving Lisa trapped behind the partition that separated the police officers from the backseat.

A figure emerged from the darkness and Lisa gasped to see Jackson appear at the window, his face contorted with rage. _He's going to kill me._ She thought as he raised his arm to reveal a gun with a silencer attached. She watched in horror as the two policemen raised their hands slowly in surrender only to have Jackson smile mockingly at them as he cocked the weapon and pumped multiple bullets into the both of them.

Lisa moaned, feeling disgust surge through her as she crawled against the back door farthest away from Jackson. He glanced coldly at her as he clicked the unlock button on the driver's side door. Instantly, Lisa opened the door closest to her and fell onto the cement ground beneath her. She desperately tried to crawl away from the carnage only to be yanked upwards by her arm. As she met Jackson's callous glare, she managed to speak. "Are you going to kill me now?"

His smirk seemed empty of any mirth. "Believe me, I'm tempted Leese but then that would deprive me so soon the enjoyment of your company. Why would I want that?"

"No, I can't go with you…I can't!" She screamed as she struggled to get him to relinquish the grip he had on her arm.

"I don't believe I offered you the option. You better get used to me Lisa. We'll be spending a lot of time together." He said his grip like iron as he started to drag her back to his car.

"No, you killed them, you…"

"To save your life, Lisa. They were going to kill you which I'm sure you are well aware of."

"They were surrendering…"

"I'm not in the position to leave witnesses. Surely, you know that." He told her harshly.

She fought wildly against him, trying to dig her heels into the ground to keep him from taking her further. Jackson sighed as he gripped her upper arm and in one movement forced her body over his shoulder, his arm wound tightly around her waist as he carried her struggling figure to the car, dumping her in the front seat of the BMW. Opening up the glove compartment in front of her, he removed the handcuffs he had previously used to secure her to the car.

"This is for your own good, Leese." He said as he gripped one of her wrists once again cuffing her to the handle on the car door.

"I lied to them about where you were, Jackson. Do you think that it didn't bother me to do what I did?" She demanded.

"I wish I could trust you as you so claimed to trust me before." He said simply as she glared at him. "But unfortunately, you've proven to be capable of lying more then once so forgive me if I don't take what you say at face value. I suggest you sit there and shut up. Think about the fact that now my company knows our general location and will be on our tail shortly. Our only hope is to make it to Texas before they figure out our destination and get out of the country as soon as possible."

He drove in complete silence as Lisa turned her face away from him unable to stop the flow of tears that went down her face. However, she wasn't crying as much for the desperate plight she had fallen into but for the fact that the conflict within her was tearing her apart. As much as she forced herself to deny any underlying feelings that she contained within that small part of darkness inside her, the more it threatened to rise to the surface and consume her totally.

_Where do we go from here?_

**_I just want to thank Royalty09 for her input and suggestions. Also want to thank the reviewers. Even though I know this plot is highly unrealistic, I believe it encompasses questions we at times ask ourselves. _**


	9. Surreal Landscapes

Jackson continued to drive in utter silence as Lisa leaned back in her seat staring out the window, her eyes frozen on the darkness outside seemingly lost in thought. The remnants of her tears remained still on her face and she made no move to wipe them away.

He sighed as he glanced over at her and finally spoke. "We'll be stopping at a motel to rest for the night."

Still, she continued the same forlorn gaze out the window as she whispered. "I don't understand."

"What's that?"

"You. I don't understand who you are. How you can change so drastically and go from being gentle to one moment and a complete bastard at the next." She said listlessly.

"You know the answer to that."

"Oh yes. It's part of your job. That's a pretty shitty excuse to me."

"Really?" He asked. "I could say the same about you. You make excuses for not taking risks in life. For all the times you play it safe living by the same rigid structure you impose on yourself. Does that really make you feel safe, Leese? You forget how well I've gotten to know you and I imagine that deep down you've wanted someone like me to rip you away from that pedantic life no matter how much you deny it."

Her free hand flew across his face in a vicious slap and he seized her wrist instantly. "What's wrong, Lisa. Did I hit to close to home?"

"Despite what you think you know Jack after stalking me for eight weeks, don't ever presume you think you really know me." She retorted.

"That's where you're wrong. I do know you Lisa but just more then you'd ever like to admit." He said as he relinquished his grip on her wrist as he turned into the parking lot of a nearby motel.

Pulling into a parking space, he got out of the car and glanced down at her after surveying the nearly empty parking lot. Apparently satisfied that one would really notice her, he murmured, "Don't go anywhere, Leese." Sarcasm grated in his tone as he closed the door behind him and made his way to the lobby.

Lisa glanced down at the metal cuff around her wrist and she knew that the cuff offered her no opportunity for her to squeeze her wrist through it as Jackson had made certain it was snapped tightly around her skin. She leaned against the window feeling resigned momentarily as she pondered the events of the night. After the shock of her life being threatened by the two policemen, her mind could not process the fact that Jackson's efforts had in actuality saved her from whatever torment they had in store for her.

_Oh God, I don't know what to do. What to feel._ It was her previous inclination to feel nothing and allow the numbness to seep through her after the trauma of the rape. Rather then take a chance with any man; she'd push away any previous thought of attraction preferring to isolate herself behind a wall of indifference. _Why was he any different? Why did I allow him inside? _She had no answers for those questions that relentlessly tore through her mind.

Her door suddenly opened causing her to jump slightly as she was ripped away from her thoughts. Jackson knelt down without a word and unlocked the cuff around her wrist, immediately grabbing her elbow; he pulled her into standing position immediately guiding her into the room. Snapping the dead bolt into place behind them, he gestured to one of the beds. "Better get some sleep Lisa. Barring any further distractions we should get to your mother's house tomorrow. I have already arranged for my contact to meet us there with our documentation."

Hearing those words, Lisa shivered as she stared longingly at the door wanting more then anything to be with her father right now and feel his arms securely around her. Anything was better then this battle that raged on inside her. She retreated to the bathroom to shower and change into a clean pair of sweats that Jackson had picked up for her. Emerging from the restroom, she started to sit tentatively on the bed and he immediately came towards her removing the cuffs from his pocket.

She shook her head frantically. "Jackson, please, I promise I won't…"

"Save it Leese. You spent the whole day lying to me so forgive me if I don't take you at your word." He reached for her wrist and she immediately jerked backwards on the bed. "Don't push me, Lisa. I'm tired and I don't have time to put up with this shit. I need you secure while I get some sleep."

Moving forward on the bed he grabbed her arms and pulled her to the iron bed frame. Gripping her wrist, he cuffed her to the frame of the headboard. Putting the blanket on top of her, he retreated to his own bed. "Sleep tight, Lisa." He said as he turned off the lights leaving her in complete darkness.

Shock seemed to prevail as she lay trembling underneath the sheets seeing flashes of memory of the horrific images of the cops being shot right before her eyes. She remembered the malevolent look in their eyes as the officer described what he had planned for her. Eventually, her tremors finally subsided as she drifted off to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Lisa felt herself being pressed against the cold pavement as her assailant pressed the knife against her throat. She begged with him to stop but he seemed to become deaf to her pleas as he aggressively pushed up her skirt, ripping through her nylons. The scream was caught in her throat as she finally looked up at the face of her attacker._

_It was a face she had never seen before and suddenly day became night and she saw the face of the police officer hovering over her as his knife dug into her neck. She was in the backseat of the police car struggling against him as he whispered, "You'll be insane long before your dead, Lisa."_

_His knife dug into her shoulder and she cried out in pain struggling against him. His partner appeared behind him. "Hey, save some of her for me. I simply love to hear them scream."_

_She was lying on a bed soaked in blood, her hands cuffed to the frame as the officer approached her with a scalpel in his hand. "I always wondered how long it takes someone to die if organs are removed one by one. Have any guesses, Lisa?" She bucked against the restraints as he approached her, pushing her shirt upwards to reveal her abdomen. "I suppose we'll simply have to find out." _

_She let out a scream that finally broke free from her throat as the scalpel cut viciously into her stomach._

Her cries rented the air and she panicked to feel the cold metal of handcuffs against her sweaty skin. She felt hands shaking her as she finally opened her eyes choking on the air that flooded into her lungs. "No they're here!" She cried out as she saw Jackson's face in front of her and she pulled on the cuff causing it to cut into her skin as her eyes frantically surveyed the room.

"No, Leese. It was a dream. No one else is here." He said but she was beyond hearing as she leapt off the bed only to fall to the floor against the mattress, weeping in despair. "They're here. Hiding somewhere. I could see their faces." She murmured. Jackson circled the bed, removing a key from his pocket and unlocked the handcuff from her wrist. Tossing them aside, he wrapped his arms around her shivering figure pressing her to him despite her resistance. In panic she struggled against him but his grip remained firm and she slowly she relaxed against him desperate for the feeling of safety to return.

"He…they cut me. Oh God, Jackson, they would of…" She tried to say, gulping between the unencumbered sobs.

"Yes, they would have Lisa but they're dead. I got you." He said softly as he stroked her hair. She was cold, shivering uncontrollably and he carefully lifted her up in his arms. Settling himself on top of her mattress, he pulled her to him, allowing her head to rest against his chest as he placed his arms protectively around her into a comforting embrace. He wrapped the quilt blanket around her, watching her as her breathing finally slowed and her eyes fluttered closed. This time a look of peace stole across her face as sleep finally returned to her, this time unencumbered from the relentless nightmares of the past.

_I'll never let you go. _He thought as she sank deeper into the soft folds of his sweatshirt. As both of them lay together both fully clothed, his brushed aside her and whispered to her. "Goodnight Leese." Sleep came for him quickly as he relaxed against the frame of bed drifting into a mindless slumber.

**I know this sounds a bit fast after their previous tension but this is not solely a romantic gesture as it is a comforting one. I want to thank Royalty09 for her suggestions in this scene. **


	10. Permanent Scars

Lisa opened her eyes to the faint glow of sunlight streaming through the partially closed curtains of the motel room. Having only vague memories of the night before, she attempted to stretch hoping to disengage herself from the somewhat awkward position on the mattress only to find herself trapped between two arms that were wrapped firmly around her waist.

_What the hell? We didn't…_ Lisa glanced down and felt some reassurance at the fact that she was fully clothed but the truth remained that Jackson's disconcerting embrace caused a rampage of emotions to traverse through her. She instantly reacted, unwilling to sort through the reemerging conflict within her. Struggling to break free of Jackson's grasp, she instantly panicked when the arms around her tightened.

"Where's the fire, Leese?" He whispered to her mockingly.

"Let go of me." She demanded, gasping from effort as she amplified her efforts to dispel the unyielding grip from the arms that encased her.

"No. I'm sorry Lisa but I'm doing you a favor." He replied. "Sooner or later, you are going to need to trust me."

"Please…I can't….can't breathe."

Pressing her back further against him, he stroked her forehead. "Just relax, Leese. Close your eyes. There's nothing to fear." He said soothingly after she reluctantly allowed herself to be guided back to her original position on the mattress.

He could feel her trembling in his arms and he loosened his grip slightly, still holding her firmly around the waist as his other hand grazed her temple.

"Why are you doing this?" She whispered.

"Why do you think?" He asked her. She didn't respond, doubting her own instincts as she tried to piece together what happened the night before that led her into this position.

"If you spend your life afraid of taking risks, thinking every man that approaches you is an enemy, could you really say that you are always looking forward, Leese?" He inquired.

"Some risks aren't worth taking, Jackson." Lisa murmured softly.

"And why is that?"

"Look what happened over the past few days after I decided to take a chance rather then play it safe. Just look at where it got me."

"Leese, what happened that night was inevitable. There was no way to avoid it or run away from it as you've done for the last two years. The only control you had was on the outcome." He said.

"Does that make you blameless, Jack? How many have died under your direction?"

"None specifically under my direction, Leese. My clients make that call and I never said I was above blame. In life, there are winners and there are losers."

"You're not saying…." She started to laugh though she found nothing humorous of the situation. Frustration engulfed her and the sole amusement she found was her own futility. Taking advantage of his loosened grip, she yanked her body forwards as she turned to face him.

"So, that's how you sleep at night by making some lame ass excuse for why you aren't responsible for what your superiors pay you to do. That's a load of absolute bullshit and you know it, Jack. Maybe it's time you accept responsibility." She retorted.

His face had contorted in fury as he struck her suddenly with such force that she fell off the bed, onto the floor. She put her hand to her cheek and winced at the sting of a fresh cut left as a remnant of the blow he dealt her. Instantly, she was on her feet running to the door and was attempting to disengage the deadbolt when his arm wrapped around her pinning her arms to her sides.

He dragged her backwards despite her tenuous efforts of resistance as he forced her to sit in one of the wooden chairs perched near the bed. Jackson released his grip on her arms and she flinched involuntarily as his fingers grazed her injured cheek. He shook his head despairingly as he took her chin in his hand turning her head to face him.

"I didn't intend for this to happen, Lisa. I'm sorry."

"Why bother offering me empty apologies, Jack." She spat at him. "Do you really regret anything you do or are your brief sojourns in humanity just an act? Maybe that's why you detest deceit because your whole life has been a lie."

"I never…" He started to say.

"Yes, I know. You never lied to me. That's getting old Jack. So what compels you to never lie? Have you ever thought about it? Is it the fact that's the only decent quality you can possibly retain while you spend your life debasing and murdering others but then again, they can rest assured of the fact that you never lied to them once. Excuse me when I say that's a cold comfort."

He stood up, opening his first aide kit, pouring some alcohol onto a wad of cotton. Approaching her, he paused in deep thought while staring at her intently.

"You're right." He told her softly.

Lisa was started by this sudden revelation as she searched his face for any hint of his previous deception. "What?"

"I won't say it again." He replied as he reached over and dabbed the cotton on her injured cheek.

"You don't have too." Lisa said, standing up to make her way to the bathroom. As she passed him, she put a tentative hand on his shoulder and he glanced up at her, startled from his moment of reverie. "Something's got to give, Jackson. You know that."

His expression remained stoic in response to her statement and in a simple gesture of affection; his hand covered hers as he squeezed her palm gently. They lingered in that position, resting on the comfort that one another provided.

Finally Jackson stood up, releasing her hand as he headed over to his duffle bag in the corner of the room. "You better get cleaned up and dressed, Leese. I need to meet with our contact for our passports in Dallas and we still have a long way to go."

_Yes we do._ Lisa thought as she headed to the restroom. _A very long way to go but at least the end is in sight._

**I want to thank all the reviewers who have taken the time to review. I appreciate them a great deal. Also want to say thanks to Royalty09 for being a very patient sounding board!**


	11. Irreparable Damage

They retreated to the car in silence driving from the motel parking lot with a sense of resolute determination to reach Dallas before the day was over. Lisa dug her nails into the palm of her hands as she contemplated the fact that she would be forced to say good-bye to her parents who had become a source of enduring strength for her since the time of her assault two years ago.

_How can I possibly leave them like this? _She thought despairingly. _They won't understand. I don't understand how I am putting my trust into someone who has spent their formative years as a hired killer. _She glanced at him surreptitiously feeling the previous conflict that consistently dwelled inside her mind. _Two nights ago we were enemies and now..._Her thoughts trailed off unable to reach a conclusion. _How in one night have we come this far?_

She had spent two years submerging her emotions, not allowing herself to feel the urge to engage in new friendships, relationships or interests merely dependent on the sole structure of her monotonous routine. In that time, despite the safety of her measures that she took to protect herself, she felt like a piece of her was dying inside. Lisa knew that her feelings towards Jackson weren't romantic but the bond they shared of a past spent pushing aside emotions that proved to be an unnecessary risk was a connection that she had often yearned for.

_But he wants more. He'll always want more then I can give. _Lisa told herself sadly. She was never sure that would be a part of her that she could give freely to anyone in the near future. Intimacy almost seemed loathsome to her, made dirty by her previous experience. Deep in her heart, she wondered if the damage was irreparable.

"Something on your mind?" Jackson asked as he reached out taking one of her hands firmly to prevent her from further digging her nails into the flesh of her palm.

"No, I'm just thinking..." She replied instinctively attempting to pull her hand back. His grip merely tightened preventing the futile effort.

"Anything in particular, Leese?"

She sighed not wishing to meet the intensity of his focused gaze as she resumed her preference of looking out the window watching the distant scenery of the passing swamp lands.

"Lisa, look at me." He demanded pulling on her wrist for encouragement. Hesitantly, her eyes met his as she felt her previous reluctance slowly drift away as she peered into the depths of his crystalline, blue eyes.

"Jackson, I'm..." She swallowed hard to dislodge the lump in her throat. "What if I'm broken?" Lisa whispered.

"Broken, how?" He inquired patiently.

"I'm damaged, Jackson. Intimacy is not just a slight fear for me. It absolutely terrifies me. I can never be whole after what was done. And then you came along...I just can't allow you to think that there is more between us then what there is."

"I've known that already, Leese." He replied. She looked at him with evident surprise on her face. "I've watched you for eight weeks and though I didn't know for sure about the rape, I suspected. Despite what you think, I'm not an amateur."

"I never made that assumption." She told him shakily.

He turned back to the wheel. "You're only broken because you want to be. It's something that you've allowed to become a barrier for yourself. When you want to move forward, you will."

"You sound like my grandmother." She said softly.

"Well, I hope one of us does. She was a dynamic woman."

"What, did you spy on her too?" Lisa asked.

"No, I didn't have too. I placed wire taps on your cell phone and land line." He replied. She scowled at him briefly. "Oh, don't look at me that way, Leese. It was part of the job, you know that. "

"So you remind me. Eight weeks of watching me full time. Doesn't sound like you had much of a life Jack."

He shrugged. "You have no idea."

She was quiet as she considered his ambiguous statement. "Do you believe in God, Jackson?"

Chuckling, he replied, "Why, do you?"

"Once. A long time ago it seems but for the past couple days, He's been on my mind again. Has He ever been on yours?"

The hand that clenched hers tightened once more and she winced in pain. "I don't know, Lisa. In the business I'm in, God often seems very far away."

"Do you think that is your fault or His?"

"Maybe both. Who knows, Leese? I can tell you this. If there is a God, then I'll certainly have hell to pay." Jackson muttered.

She looked down at her palm fully engulfed in his hand and she shivered as his thumb caressed her self inflicted injuries her nails left in their stead. "Perhaps we both will." She told him finally.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lisa was shaken awake from the light slumber she fell into as Jackson pulled into a parking lot of a nearby grocery store.

"Where are we?" She mumbled tiredly.

"Just outside of Dallas. I'm meeting my contact here for our passports and then we'll head to your mother's house. Just stay in the car until I say it's otherwise, okay Leese?"

"Sure, whatever you say." She muttered as she pressed her head against the window and watched him emerge from the car cautiously approaching a man in his mid forties. Initially, they shook hands, talking quietly at first until Lisa noticed the stranger reaching into his pocket secretively and she felt a pang of alarm. _Something isn't right here._

Without any forethought about what she was doing, she opened the door and ran towards them. "Jackson, look out!" She started to cry out. "He has a..."

Instantly, the man pulled out his weapon and pointed it directly at her. She felt her blood run cold as her heart seemed to palpitate within her chest. _He's going to kill me. I'm going to die right here._ Lisa thought hollowly.

His finger was tightening on the trigger and all Lisa could do was stare. She was frozen in place gazing at the weapon that would ultimately lead to her destruction. Suddenly there was a surge of movement as Jackson tackled the man. The weapon fired and Lisa felt a bullet graze her cheek as she watched the deathly struggle taking place.

Jackson was trying to remove his weapon as he landed a brutal kick to the man's ribs. He reeled backwards as a result moving closer to Lisa while Jackson watched this in alarm raising his gun. "Lisa, get out of here! Run into the store!"

He fired at him however he was aiming at a moving target and the first bullet missed. _I've always been a lousy shot._ Jackson thought as he moved closer.

Lisa finally broke free from the momentary shock that had rooted her to the ground and attempted to run past the dueling pair. She got two steps before she was seized and pulled backwards into the assailants chest as she felt cold metal of his weapon being placed to her temple.

"Let her go, Mark. Your fight is with me, not with her."

"I beg to differ Jackson. I think she'll make for some lively entertainment, don't you? Isn't that why you wanted to take her with you in the first place?"

"She has nothing to do with this!"

"Well, that would be the case if you had done your job, Jack! We might have even let you have her as a consellation prize. But you had to go and fuck it up. Now she is part of this whether you like it or not." Lisa struggled desperately against the grip that was tightening around her waist as she frantically launched her elbow backwards into her assailant's chest. Her captor growled in response and suddenly pain exploded at the back of her temple as her attacker viciously brought the butt of the gun down on the side of her head.

Jackson could only watch as Lisa fell limply into Mark's arms as he swung her roughly over his shoulder still placing the gun to her head. Jackson started to rush forward but Mark shook his head and backed away slowly. "Yes, by all means, keep going if you really want your girlfriend here to have a bullet lodged into her brain. You're a terrible shot Rippner and well, it doesn't take much for me to finish her here...not at this range."

"What do you want?" Jackson demanded.

"To finish this. Meet us in fifteen minutes and don't be late. We wouldn't want to keep her and her family waiting, wouldn't we?" Mark asked maliciously as he backed away and shoved her into a car that pulled alongside him.

Jackson felt utter rage towards his former associate as he watched him drive off using Lisa as his shield against him. Mark had been one of his previous partners and from all appearances, he was unswervingly dedicated to Jackson despite his unconventional way of dealing with previous assignments.

He strode back to the car and picked up his cell phone, shaking his head in disbelief. He had been deceived for the last time. Jackson would make sure of that.

**Well, almost coming to an end here. I should have the next couple chapters up shortly. Anyway, that's what I keep telling myself. As always, a big thanks to Royalty09 for her ideas and support and to all my reviewers out there!**


	12. Bold Rescue

Jackson screwed the silencer onto his weapon as he glanced out the window, ever vigilant of any approaching strangers that might see his vehicle despite the fact he carefully obscured his car several blocks away from the Reisert home in a nearby adjacent park.

His gun which was not his first choice of a precision weapon to use in the confrontation between him and his former employers was probably his best choice after having created a sufficient distraction in order to retrieve Lisa from the house and make a hasty exit. Saving her family would be considered a secondary effort if his associates hadn't immediately terminated them on site.

_Once more, I underestimate someone. This has just become a truly fucked up situation._

Retrieving his bag from the trunk of the car, he made his way stealthily towards the house clutching the knife sheathed at his side, wary of even the slightest indicator of a possible onslaught as he surveyed the neighborhood looking for the optimal vantage point to gain entry into the residence.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lisa's world slowly came into focus as she opened her eyes to a series of blurred images that seemed to spiral around her, forcing her to once again shut her eyelids to keep from vomiting as nausea settled into her stomach. She gagged momentarily, trying to swallow the bile which burned a passage from her throat as her head pounded in agony.

_What happened? Where…?_ She attempted to take a deep breath to clear the severity of the headache that pulsated throughout her entire body only to find a wad of cloth shoved into her mouth held into place by a strip of cotton that was tied securely around her head. She tried to move her hands to rip out the makeshift gag only to find them bound together behind her back by layer after layer duct tape which cut into her wrists as she struggled against the unyielding restraints.

Her legs bound equally in the same manner, she blinked her eyes rapidly slowly bringing them back into focus to see that she had been left on the cold, tile floor of her mother's master bathroom located just upstairs. The door directly in front of her was closed but despite the fact that there was no mechanism to lock her inside, she had been rendered helpless nevertheless.

She jerked backwards as the door suddenly opened to reveal her original assailant who had tricked Jackson into the prior arranged meeting. He sauntered inside standing over her with a look of apparent triumph on his face. "Well, I see sleeping beauty has finally risen to join us." He said with an expression of pure amusement on his face.

Reaching down, he seized her arm pulling her upwards and over his shoulder once more as she groaned in pain. "Aw, poor thing." He said mockingly. "Don't you want to join the party Lisa? Perhaps you want some alone time with me first." He suggested luridly as he carried her to the queen sized bed and dropping her on the mattress. She shook her head wildly in refusal as he quickly untied the gag from her mouth. She spit out the cloth, glaring at her captor resentfully.

"I'd rather die first." She muttered at him loathingly, her mouth went dry from his sordid proposal.

Mark smiled at her darkly. "Oh, you'll die. It's only a matter of when. For me, I prefer to kill you during." Winking at her as a look of horror crossed her face, he said, "See you later, sweetheart. Keep the bed warm for me."

He left her alone to wait his return in a state of absolute despair as she struggled frantically against the tape around her wrists. Blood was already seeping from where the bandages had cut into her skin but she could barely feel the pain since her own adrenaline had blocked the sensation of agony from her mind.

Rolling around on the feather mattress in order to undue her bindings, the house was suddenly rocked by the sound of intense explosion. Lisa cried out in pain as she fell to the carpet from the bed having no means to soften her fall as pieces of plaster rained down on top of her.

Voices sounded from the outside hallway, some sounding frantic while she distinctly heard screams of agony from those possibly injured in the aftermath of the explosion.

A shadow filled the doorway as a burly stranger entered with a cell phone in his hand as he glanced at Lisa with a gesture of indifference. "Yes, the subject is still here. Rippner is not in sight. Should I kill her now?"

She gasped as he nodded into the phone. "Right. We'll deal with her family after." He turned as he looked at Lisa and removed his gun with the silencer already attached.

"Time to say goodnight." He told her as he aimed the gun directly at her head.

"Look, you got me. Leave my parents out of this." She protested as he clicked off the safety.

"Sorry, those weren't my orders. You left us with a whole shit load to clean up. With you and Rippner dead, I need to remove all potential witnesses."

_God help me._ She prayed silently as his finger wrapped around the trigger. Closing her eyes, she distantly heard the sound of the gun being fired.

**Forgive me for the shortened chapter but I rather liked ending it on a cliffhanger here. I should have the next chapter out shortly. Probably by tomorrow. Anyway, thanks to Royalty09 for her advice and support. Also to reviewers, hang in there. I'm hoping the ending will surprise you.**


	13. Sign of Life

The discharge of the C-4 that Jackson had planted haphazardly at the side of the house went off just as he had planned. The resulting impact to the house did not. The explosion had taken out several of the men who stood guard in the now burning structure. But five still remained according to his radar scan of heat signatures within each of the partially decimated rooms.

Removing his knife from his belt, he quietly made his way forwards into the kitchen catching the first man by surprise as he instantly shoved the barrel of his weapon into his back and firing the shot quickly. _One down and four to go. _He thought as he made his way upstairs overhearing the remnants of a conversation.

"Rippner is not in sight. Should I kill her now?"

_Damn it. _He raced upstairs almost running head long into another associate who was watching the hallway from his position only few feet away from the room where Jackson surmised that Lisa was being kept.

"Right. We'll deal with her family after."

The man started to open his mouth to alert the guard down the hall and Jackson acted quickly. His arms wrapped around the intruder's throat as he viciously yanked his head to the side, satisfied to hear the sound of a crack as the man's neck broke and instantly, he dragged the man out of sight down the stairs. Quickly he abandoned the body to rush back up in the attempt to intercept the gunman outside of Lisa's room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lisa had closed her eyes in preparation for her death. Fleeting thoughts drifted through her mind. Would she actually hear the gun shot that would ultimately be her demise or would she be dead long before the sound could reach her ears? Distant memories of times spent with her family seemed to come to her with startling clarity.

Among the most surprising of her recollections was the brief remembrance of Jackson holding her protectively on the cheap hotel mattress the previous evening when a nightmare had propelled her from the bed as she desperately tried to free herself of the imagined danger that lurked in the room.

_I didn't remember it before. _She thought sadly. _I do now but it's too late to tell him. To tell him…_

A gun shot sounded and Lisa was shocked to realize that she wasn't dead from what she thought would be an otherwise fatal bullet wound. Opening her eyes, she looked upwards to see Jackson pushing his knife into the throat of her intended murderer cutting off his scream of agony as he collapsed to the ground, his eyes staring at hers sightlessly.

She shivered upon seeing the corpse but felt a measure of intense gratitude well up inside of her as Jackson quickly knelt beside her, using his knife to sever the tape free.

Shock had of course gripped her as her as her tongue remained frozen inside her mouth as she stared into the eyes of her savior. He had just severed through the last of the tape and grasped her arms.

"Lisa?" He asked her urgently. Unable to break free of the paralysis, her mind relived the moments before her rescue. _Am I really alive or am I dead? Is this a dream? He was about to kill me and…_

Suddenly she felt a hand strike her directly across her face and she gasped in pain as her palm flew up to her cheek which stung from the resulting blow.

"What the hell did you do that for?" She demanded.

He observed her carefully and gripped her arm, pulling her to her feet. "Much better." He replied more to himself then to her. "Can you walk, Leese? Because I'm going to have a hell of time carrying you."

She nodded as he put a supporting arm around her, leading her out to the hallway and down the stairs towards the back door. "Wait!" She cried out. "My parents! They're here! They must be somewhere! We have to…"

He clamped a hand over her mouth stifling her protest as he pushed her outside. "We don't have time to look for them, Lisa. We need to get out of here."

She shook her head in despair and his eyes softened. "They're not here, Leese." He murmured as he removed the hand from her mouth. "I promise you they are not in the house."

Lisa nodded finally allowing him to turn her away from the remains of what had been a source of comfort and a second home to her. If they had killed her the last surviving link to her previous existence, Jackson was all she had left. He was her only connection that would fill a now hollow void in her life and her means of survival.

A voice echoed from behind them. "Leaving so soon, Rippner?"

They turned around to see Mark emerging carefully from the devastation in his wake, his weapon carefully trained on the two of them. Jackson made a move to step forward and Mark shook his head aiming the weapon at Lisa. "Don't fuck with me, Rippner or I'll put a bullet directly into her stomach first. You can watch her die in insufferable pain as she slowly bleeds to death internally. One of the most horrible ways to die I hear and I promise you I won't miss. I was always a better shot then you were."

"Maybe that's true, Mark but at the same time you were always the bigger screw up. How many times did I have to cover your ass because you botched a job?" Jackson asked snidely.

"Just like you failed so miserably on the last one?"

"Oh, I didn't fail. I chose not to go through with it, Mark. It was a shitty plan at best but the client somehow got into his head that was the best way of conducting the operation. I wonder where he got that idea from?" Jackson's purposeful insinuation was clear and Mark smiled menacingly in response.

"I couldn't pass up the opportunity now could I? With your track record there was no way of bringing you down with the exception of one disastrous failure with one of our more esteemed clients. It was all to easy and I knew you couldn't resist an unpredictable target like her." Mark shook his head. "It was a calculated risk on my part considering if the plan had fallen apart any other way, it would have been my head instead of yours. But now I succeeded and with that came a promotion to your former position."

Shrugging, Mark released the safety on the gun. "You know, on second thought having you watch her die would be extremely entertaining."

Jackson clutched the k-bar tightly as he moved closer to Lisa, grasping her arm protectively. "Mark, your full of shit. You always have been. Even if you manage to fire off a bullet, you'll be in hell long before you'll see her die."

"Well, we'll see about that won't we, Rippner." Mark replied as he leveled the gun at her and instantly fired.

Chaos ensued as Lisa felt herself being tossed roughly to the ground as an agonizing scream rented the air cut short by the sound discordant breathing between choking gasps of air.

Lisa felt around the area of her stomach, astounded not to feel a trace of bullet wound on her abdomen. _What happened? He was aiming the gun at Jackson and I..._

"Oh, God." She said out loud as realization hit her. "Jackson!" She pushed herself to her feet turning to see two inert forms lying on the grass just in front of her. Stumbling she made her way towards them only to see Jackson collapsed face down beside Mark's now lifeless corpse.

Frantically, she turned Jackson carefully so he was on his back and couldn't help but emit a sob when she saw the bullet wound in his chest that was previously meant for her.

He opened his eyes, blinking lethargically as she put her fingers to his neck to feel his pulse. "I never lie." He whispered, his eyes flicking towards Mark's body. Lisa glanced to see a knife protruding from Mark's throat. Indeed, Mark had been dead before he even hit the ground. Jackson had made good on his promise.

She gazed down at Jackson as his eyes started to become distant. "No!" She grabbed his face in both of her hands. "Jackson, look at me! Stay with me. Don't you dare leave me. Not now. Not after..."

His eyes fluttered and he smiled. "Leese..." He murmured. "You were right."

"About what?" A forlorn tear trickled down her cheek as she looked into his clear, beautiful eyes. At one time, they seemed cold and malevolent to her but now, they had a radiance she never witnessed before.

"I had no life and then there was you. I always knew I would have to steal you."

"Jackson, please! I need you." Her tears came unbidden down her face.

"No." He whispered. "You never did. I was the one who needed you for something you couldn't give."

His breaths came quicker as Lisa clutched his hand in hers. "Why Jackson? Why give up everything, do all this for me?"

Struggling to speak as his eyes began to dim, she leaned forward and felt his lips brush her ear. "Because somethings are simply beyond my control." He replied faintly before he closed his eyes for the last time.

Lisa put her hand to her mouth and shook her head in denial upon seeing his lifeless form beneath her. Sobbing openly, she leaned forwards and gently pressed her lips to his forehead still feeling the subtle warmth of his body. Quietly, she murmured, "I love you." The bond they had shared had created a love that she couldn't define but it was there and now all that was left in its place was emptiness.

Her tears started to slow as she pulled back to look at his now peaceful expression. "I wish it didn't have to be this way." She said softly. So shivered as she kept her rigid stance beside his body that lay prone on the grass and a singular despair churned in her heart as she thought past the last two days that had seemed like a monument in her life all destroyed in one fractured moment.

Suddenly, his eyes flew open and he spoke clearly to her. "Then, what's the delay?" He asked. She let out a gasp of disbelief, reeling backwards in shock and closed her eyes trying to convince herself that she was hallucinating.

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Lisa reopened her eyes to find herself back on the Fresh Air flight staring once more into Jackson's very alive but menacing expression as he attempted to corner her where she sat. "Then, what's the delay?" He asked in that once familiar, patronizing tone.

_I'm back where I started. _She thought in amazement as she felt the still fresh tears on her cheeks. _It might have been a dream. _She contemplated as she looked into his pale, blue eyes intently focused on hers demanding an answer. _Or a vision of what was to come. Either way, I can't let that happen. We both deserve a chance to live._

Remembering Mark's words to them, _"It was a calculated risk on my part considering if the plan had fallen apart any other way, it would have been my head instead of yours."_

Taking a deep breath, her body trembling from what she had just endured, she met his gaze stoically. _The part of him that I saw and that I connected with was real. Maybe I can still find it. _"So, by changing Keefe's room, does that make it easier...?

**Well, I hope I caught a few of you off guard and yes my dream ended with Jackson's death but I had a variation on it where I went back moments before and wondered to myself if I could work that into my story scenario. Anyway, the epilogue should be out soon. Thank you to Royalty09 and to all the reviewers. I must say, I was pretty overwhelmed by your response to this and I appreciate your encouragement and praise.**


	14. EpilogueA Change for Good

Night had fallen as Lisa stared out of her apartment window, her arms wrapped around the warm flannel nightgown she had taken to wearing during the winter months in Miami. It was three a.m and she had woken purely out of instinct from her slumber yet did not have her familiar craving for eggs. Instead, she crawled out from under the covers and found comfort watching the quiet street beneath her as the melodic sound of crickets and other nocturnal creatures emerged from the safety of their habitats to frolic in the night air.

Three months had passed since that fateful night when the destinies of hers and Jackson Rippner's collided together. She had seen two realities play out in the course of one night and had lived both of them fully with all of their inevitable torment with only the assurance that she had finally made the right choice.

Jackson was alive and probably filled with loathing towards her at what he may have considered a betrayal. She had tried to reason with him in the small in flight bathroom only to have her pleas fall on deaf ears until he caught a glimpse of her scar and for that moment, she had seen his face change much like it had before. The small part of his humanity which he had carefully hidden from view on that plane was clearly discernible. His rage at her attacker was merely misdirected as his fingers wrapped around her throat in anguish. Jackson had probably hoped that by choking her, indirectly, her rapist would also suffer.

She had seen the pen on the way back to her chair and in her mind, she remembered how Jackson drove his knife into the throat of her would be assailant in the alternate vision. She snatched it quickly dreading what she would have to do, knowing that it wouldn't ultimately kill him but leave him seething in anger, eager for revenge.

And now, she had received her wish that she had made upon watching Jackson die in those moments of her premonition. They were both alive and the fact that Jackson would never know what might have been was probably for his benefit. He had disappeared a few days after being admitted to the hospital and a week later, the news reported a badly decomposed corpse had turned up at one of the nearby beaches. Identity was still pending but the cause of death had been a stab wound to the throat. Lisa smiled briefly and shook her head knowing full well that Mark had suffered the consequences for his ill fated plan. _You were right, Jackson. You never lie._

As she looked down the other side of the street, she caught sight of a black BMW parked a block away and immediately she knew whose car that belonged to.

_Jackson..._

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Jackson Rippner glanced up at Lisa's darkened windows and fingered the k-bar in his belt considering his plan of action. He had gone through several range of emotions when it came to his prior encounter with Lisa Reisert; betrayal, anger, hate, perplexity and finally a lingering sadness. He had convinced himself that he wanted revenge and that killing Lisa would rid himself of the constant confusion that muddled his otherwise clear thinking.

_It won't. _A voice inside his mind seemed to echo. He shook his head, befuddled as he looked down at the knife. After watching Lisa for eight weeks, he finally realized how much he meant those words on the plane. _When this is over, I may have to steal you._ He considered that option briefly thinking how easy it would be to slink up quietly to her apartment, incapacitate her and carry her with him where ever his life might take him next.

Again, he knew that wasn't the answer either. If she wasn't free to make her own choices then he would never be free as well. Usually, Jackson's timing of meticulously planned missions and other ventures were all made to perfection. With Lisa, he knew in his heart that his timing with her would always be off and anything with her would never go according to plan.

In fact, that was one of the things he ultimately had grown entranced with.

Sighing, he put the knife down on the passenger seat knowing that her death would not vanquish the conflicting emotions raging inside him. It would only give way to a certain emptiness and he couldn't live like that anymore.

"She was right." He muttered. "I am pathetic."

Right now, he wanted nothing more then for her to be alive, living the life she was meant to have and knowing that one day, he might feel the vitality of being alive once again because he could look back with surety that having known her, his very existence would be changed for the better.

Giving the apartment where Lisa resided, one last brief wave, he turned on the ignition of his car and slowly made his way from Blossom Palms Lane. _Good-bye Leese._

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Lisa smiled briefly despite the fleeting sensation of apprehension as she gazed out the window. Jackson did not see her but as she stepped forwards, she could see his figure in the car, sitting in the driver's seat in contemplation.

She prayed silently that he wouldn't emerge from the car with knife in hand forcing her to call the police. _Just let it go Jackson. Go forward and live your life._

Breathing a sigh of relief upon clearly seeing Jackson abandoning an object he had been considering, she saw him turn once more to face her window. _If only he could see me._ She thought as she put her hand up in a wave only to see him do the exact same gesture from the confines of his vehicle.

Seeing him make this lasting gesture of peace that matched hers caused one solitary tear to trail down her cheek and she finally dropped her hand to her side as she watched him pull out into the street, driving until the tail lights of his car finally disappeared into the night.

_Somethings are just not meant to be._

**_I know it's not the ending that some of you wished for but it's the best I could do. I tried to express this but the love Lisa had for Jackson was of a connection they shared which is a bit different in my POV then a love of a romantic nature although there is that fine line between the two. So will they come to a resolution in the future or will they never see each other again? Somethings are best left up to the imagination. Anyway, thanks again to Royalty09 who has been incredibly patient and always filled with ideas on my various chapters. You have her to thank for the cliffhanger where Lisa is about get shot up in the bedroom. Thanks again to all the reviewers who took time to review and anyone who just simply took time to read. Also, I like to take a chance to thank Not Human for her writing simply because it gave me inspiration for a lot of my stories to explore the darker facets of various characters as well as my own personality and how it interplays within the plots of my stories._**

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